Sheet feeding and forwarding mechanism



March 21, 1939. c. F. PFLANZE I SHEET FEEDI N G AND FORWARDING MECHANISM Original Filed Oct. 51, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 March 21, 1939- C. F. PFLANZE SHEET FEEDING AND FORWARDING MECHANISM Original Filed Oct. 51, 1936 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 2 mi 7H N r W 7, N .A J v,

March 21, 1939. c. F. PFLANZE SHEET FEEDING AND FORWARDING MECHANISM 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed Oct. 51, 1936 mum ma Cl-TPFLA/YZE fir 7 March 21, 1939. c. F. PFLANZE SHEET FEEDING AND FORWARDING MECHANISM Original Filed Oct. 31., 1956 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Mir", 21,1939.

UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE I alsnzzs snnar mnnmo AND FORWARDING mncnmsu a Charles F. Pflanze,University City, Mo.

i Application October 31, 1936, Serial No. 108,543

Renewed July 5, 1938 8 Claims. (c1. 271- 1) My invention relates generally to sheet feeding and forwarding mechanisms, and more specifically to the alin'ingmeans embodied in said invention which utilizes air suction or vacuum in'the 5 control-ofandadvalnoing of the blanks to the scoring and folding or printing mechanism. When the air suction by means of which the blank is advanced is cut on, the blank'becomes immevice on a feed table, and whereby the topmost sheet is lifted and advanced by a reciprocatory lifting, and advancing suction device over said stop device for delivery to a rotary suction member for further advancing and delivering said sheet in proper alined position to scoring, folding, I or mechanisms in the machine to which my invention applies.

Morefspecificall'y, I have illustrated and 'de-' scribed nit-[invention applied to an envelopeforming machine-in which pregummed envelope.

, blanks are advanced to a feed table and accumulated against a 'stop-devic'e'in a pile consisting of a plurality oi' said blanks.- The reciprocatory lifting and advancing suction device lifts and advances the top sheet over said stop device to a rotary suction member which seizes and advances said' sheet to. a mechanicalalining device, which accurately .alines' said blank, and when so alined said blank is held in'such accurately alined posi- 40 tion by a bottom suction cup while the mechanical alining members are withdrawn out bf contact with said blank. The suction cup retains the blank in such accurately alined position until it is seized by the advancing cylinders associated with the scoring and forming mechanism'of the envelope-forming machine. The reason I. have shown my invention as applied specifically to an envelope-forming machine is the necessity of realining the blanks after they leave the accumu-.

lated pile, where they may have been imperfectly alined. -The mechanical alining device is old in envelope-forming machines, but so far as I am aware I am the first to provide a reciprocatory lifting and advancing suction device associated with a rotary suction member for seizing each blank as it is lifted and advanced by said reciproc'atory lifting and advancing suction'device for further advancement to said mechanical. alining members, while each blank is retained by each 01' said suction devices in the alined position, both longitudinally and transversely, which it occupied in the accumulated pile on the feed table. In the iflc illustration herein shown anddescrlbed,

' I have shown the additional feature of the bottom suctionvcup' for holding each blank in the exact alined position secured by the mechanical alining members and pending the seizure'and further advancement of each blank by the rotateing cylinders associated with the scoring and folding mechanism of the envelope-forming machine. -However, I do-not wish to have my'invention specifically limited to envelope-forming" machines, as this is merely one ap lication of such invention.

In machines of this character handling irregularly shaped material, such as envelope blanks,

which are to be fed at any spaced position for pregumming the openflapand carried by means of "forwarding belts, chains, or similar devices for the purpose of pre-drying the grin: and then being converted into made-up. envelopes, it has been noted through past experiences that, owing to the stretching of these chains and belts and irregularity in the spacing it has been difficult to present these single blanks tothe folding mechanism in precise alined relationship.

11o overcome-this distinct disadvantage, I have proceeded to arrest these blanks at a predeterminedpoint and have introduced a reciprocatory lifting and advancing sucker to bring the top .sheet of such arrested .pile within the air of a rotary air vacuum device which has the property of forwarding the top sheet to an exact point and arresting its forward movement within the range of mechanical alining means, allowing for much more perfect alinement with the scoring mechanism than has heretofore been accomplished. It

will be easily understood that through the arresting motion an accumulation offmore than one blank in this predetermined, arrested position is possible, and it is obvious that this will overcome any lack of synchronism between the pre-gumming apparatus and the folding portions of the machine. There is also provided on this arresting table racking means, so that arrested position relative to the length of the blank and the blanks relationship to the scoring cylinder can be predetermined. 7

Fig. 1 is a plan view of a reel table constructed in accordance with my invention, together with a. portion of the feeding mechanism for advancing the pre-gummed envelope blanks to the feed table.

Fig. 2 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a view taken on line 3--3 of Fig; 2, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 4 is a cross-sectional view taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 1, lookingin the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 5 is. a view taken" on line 5--5 of Fig. 4, looking in the direction of the arrows.

Fig. 6 is a plan view of a modification of my invention with a lifting suction roller adapted to handle window envelopes.

Fig. 7 is a side elevation, partly in section, of the mechanism illustrated in Fig. 6. I

In the drawings, A. and B designate the lower feed belts for advancing the pre-gummed and pre-dried envelope blanks to the feed table C in spaced relation to each other, and D are top belts for holding said blanks in spaced position on the lower belts B. The blanks have had their flaps gummed at .a remote point of the machine and have traveled a-sufiicient distance to effect the drying of the gum. before reaching the point on said machine as' illustrated at the right of Figs. 1 and 2. The spacing of the blanks is generally the distance. determined by the gummed portion of the flaps on each blank. The belts are driven by a suitable motor, not shown.

Mounted on the side frame E of my machine is a transverse shaft I, on which is mounted a carriage 2 provided with a series of pressure rollers 3, which carriage is mounted on the shaft approximately midway of its length by-means of a rod 4, which is mounted on the shaft I by the bearing 5. This rod 4 is adjustable in the bearing 5 and is secured in place by the bolt 6 in said bearing. These rollers 3 bear down on the upper surface of the envelope blanks F and are adapted to maintain said blanks in position on the lower feed belts A. Mounted also on the shaft between the center and the ends of said shaft are two carriages on which are mounted rear rollers 8 and forward rollers 9, the rear rollers being larger in diameter than the forward rollers.

The purpose of making the forward rollers 9 of less diameter than the rear rollers 8 is to permit the forward rollers to enter marginal notches l0 provided in the flap ll of the envelope F,so that.

as a plurality 'of envelopes are accumulated at the end of the feed table C the small diameter rollers 9 may enter said notchesand serve to hold said envelopes in accumulated position. The function of the larger rear rollers 8 is to serve as presser members on the envelope blanks F. The carriages I are pivotally mounted on the rods |2, whichin turn are secured-to the shaft by the bolts I3.

The carriages 2 and I are also pressed again the envelope blanks F by the tension springs ll, of which there are three, one for each rod l2 and l. The spring I4 is locatedbetween acur'v extension member I5 on each.offtheisupporting The upper portions of the belts A pass over the feed table C, which table is supported by the frame members G by bolts l8 passing through slots IS in said table. This permits of longitudinal adjustment of said feed table to accommodate envelopes of different depths. At the forward end of the feed table C are two upwardly extending stops 20 adapted to engage the forward portion of each envelope blank and to arrest the forward movement thereof. into'marginal notches in the envelope blank, one on either side of the forward portion of said blank. 7

A plurality of envelope blanks assemble at this point just beyond the forward end of the feed belts A and B at the forward end of the feed table C with the forward notches in said blanks These stops enter which terminate shortly above the pile of blanks F and which are attached to sections of flexible hose 22 leading to a vacuum pump (not shown). These tubes are pivotally supported as at 23 by two short arms 24 carried by a transverse member 25, which is pivotally mounted in the side plates H mounted on the feed table C at either side thereof.

It will be noted that the arms 24 are adjustably mounted for-transverse movement in the transverse member 25 (see Fig. 1), so as to accommodate envelope blanks of different lengths. The member 25 at one end is provided with an arm 26 which extendsforwardly and downwardly; At the forward end of the arm 26 is a roller 21 adapted to contact with a cam 28 eccentrically mounted on a shaft 29, so that when said cam is rotated the arm 26 is caused to move up and down and thus to rock the transverse member 25. The upper portion of each, sucker tube 2| being secured by an arm 24 to the member 25,- such arm is rocked in the arc ofa circle, and as ment of the sucker tubes 2| for different sized envelopes. The shaft'29 is driven by a sprocket chain 34 connected to a sprocket wheel 35 mounted on a shaft 36, which inturn is driven by the sprocket chain 31 connected with the sprocket wheel 38 on the shaft 39, which shaft is driven by the sprocket chain 40 leading to a suitable motor (not shown).

Fastened to the member 25 near each. end thereof are two arms 4| which extend downwardly and at their lower ends are adapted to engage the member 32 tox-rock said member forwardly,

when the member 25 is operated by the arm 26. By this rocking forward movement the sucker tubes 2| are moved forwardly and upwardly, due

to the fact that the ends of said tubesextend through slots 3| in said member 32. Two springs 42 are attached to the feed table C and the arm 33 for the purpose of restoring the member 25 5 and associated parts to the position shown in Fig. 2.

Guideway strips 43 and 44 are provided, being placed transversely across the machine and consisting of five sets which prevent vertical displacement of the envelope blanks F. The top envelope blank in the assembled pile of .blanks on the feed table C is first lifted by. the sucker tubes 2| when the vacuum is created, as will be hereinafter described, and then the long arms 4| strike against the side of the member 32, which moves said member and said sucker tubes. and the lifted envelope blank forwardly,=clearing said blank of the stops 26. This permits the further forward movement ofsaid blank so advanced and the precise alinement of said blank,.so that it will be received by the'scoring and folding mechanismqin the correct position tobe folded accurately, regardless of any exact 'alinement that may have developed up to this point.

As pointed out before, each envelope blank F '-is provided with four marginal notches, two on each side of the blank, in which the small rolls 9 and the stops 26 first engage. As the blank-is advanced as just described, these notches are en-' aged by four movable members 45 and 46 which are cam-actuated tocause them to be rocked into position where they can engagesaid notches as the blank'F is advanced, as heretofore described. The members 45 are mounted on a shaft 35 41 mounted transversely of-the machine and adapted to be operated by the cam 48, which moves the arm 49 which rocks the shaft 41 and moves the member 45 forwardly, bringing the upward projections 50- into engagement with the rear notches in the envelope blank, which has been advanced from the-pile on the feed table C. The other members'46 are operated by the cam 5| mounted on the shaft 39. The members. 46 are journaled on a shaft 52 and are provided with downwardly projecting extensions 53 which have rollers 54 for engaging the cam 5|. As the .members 46 are rocked rearwardly, the upward projections 55 engage the forward notches in the advanced envelope blank F. By this engagement of said blank it is precisely alinedfor its further advancement into the scoring and folding mechanism. v To advance the-envelope blank F to the alining position just described from the pointof advancementby the reciprocatory lifting and advancing suctiondevice, a rotating, perforated cylinder 56' engages the upper surface of' said blank, and simultaneously the vacuum for holding the said blank in contact with said cylinder is operated and remains in effect until said blank F-has been advanced to a point where it is accuratelyalined and where it can be gripped by the feeding cylinders 51 and 58 The vacuum effected in the 65 several places in my mechanism will be hereinafter described. Almost under the cylinder 56 is a-suction cup 3|) which exerts a suction against the lower side of the envelope blank'F and prevents any tend- 7g ency of said blank to get 'out'of alinement at this 75 permit" the ready entrance of the blank F be- Unit 10 leads to the suction tube s 2|.

tween. the cylinders 51 and 59 before being seized by said cylinders. 1

It will also be noted that the feeding cylinder 56 hasa groove 59 about its center to receive one of the guideway strips '43. The guideway '5 strips 43 may be adjusted transversely of the' machine when different sized envelope blanks are being run through the mechanism. A transverse bar 60 is mounted across the machine between the cylinder 56 and the cylinders 51 and 58., On 10 this bar 60 are mounted the guideway strips v43 by screws 6| which pass through an elongated slot 62 in said bar.

Themeans for creating the. suction or. vacuum employed in the operation of my device will now 15 be described. The pump for creating the suction is not shown, but it is understood it can be. of anystandard design and operated -by electric motor or other suitable driving means. Fig. 3

. shows most of the piping arrangement required. 20

On a shaft 36 are fixed four hollow disks 64, 65, 66, and 61; The hollow disk 64 is only employed when the-modification shown in Figs. 6 and 1 is used, and so it is not shown connected with the other piping in Fig. 3. Y

Abutting these circular disks on each side are stationary members 68, 69, 10, and 1|, also diskshaped and hollow, with extensions 12 for receiving bolts 13 to hold each unit together. The disks 64, 65, 66, and 61 rotate between these outer disks 68, 69, 10, and". A transverse bar 14 is mounted in the machine adjacent said disks and a pin 15 passes through said bar and is seated, one in eachdisk unit 68, 69, 10, and 1|, to prevent the rotation of said disk units.

In the side walls of each of the disks is an opening to receive the suction pull from a pipe from the suction pump and transmit such suction pull to a pipe connected with each of the units 68, 69, 10, and 1| and leading to each of the 4 suction devices employed inmy, mechanism.

Unit 1| leads to the suction device 16 in the cylinder 56. Unit 69 leads to the suction cup 30. The cylinder 56'is a part of,shaft 11, and fixed therein is the, hollow, non-rotatable suction device 16 with the suction pipe "leading to the unit 1| As the disk 61 rotates and as the openings in the side walls therein register with openings in the adjan cent side walls of the disk 1|, the suction is transmitted to the suction device 16 and suction is exerted upon the-upper surface of the topmost en- Y velope blank which is being transported through my machine. When suction is exerted through the other disks 68 andJl], such suction is transmitted through the connecting suction device in each case and is exerted upon or beneath the 1 the stops 20 and the rearward notched edges engaged by the smallrfollers 9.. Atfthis time the feeding mechanism for alining and forwarding m the blanks to the scoring and folding mechanism 'is set in motion. The topmost blank F is lifted by the suction tubes'il to clear said blank of the stops 2!] when the rocking motion is. transmitted to said tubes, and theblank is advanced to be 7 subjected to the action of the alining members 45 and 46.

' The rotating cylinder engages the upper surface of the blank F, which, with the suction device 16 therein, under the suction ,transmitted 4 to itthrough the unit II carries said blank forwardly to the alining members 45 and I when the suction is terminated by the rotation of the disk 61. The forward notched portion of themvelope blank F has been contacted by the upward projections 55 onthe members 46 practically slmultaneously with the release of the blank from the vacuum controlled feeding cylinder 56, and said blank comes under the alining control of the members 45 and ii. The lower surface of the blank F, after being alined by the members '45 and 46, is then seized by the suction cup 30 and held by said cup until the forward flap portion of said blank can be seized by the feeding cylinders 51 and 58, the forward iiap of said blank being then in position between the cylinders whereby it may be caught and advanced by the larger diameter portion of the topmost cylinder 51 contacting with the lower cylinder 58. At this time the rotation of the disk 65 has cut off the suction to the device 30, so that said blank may be advanced into the scoring and folding mechanism. I prefer to employ a relatively continuous, weak suction at this point, although I could employ a strong suction and carrange an off and on connection with the cup '30. In this manner I provide a very precise and accurate alining device for the envelope blanks F which is not influenced by any'inaccuracy in the feeding means up to the accumulated pile of blanks at the forward end of the feed table.

In the modification shown in Figs. 6 and 'l the structure already described remains the same. I. have added a rotary suction device to handle window envelopes.

When the modified structure illustrated in Figs. 6 and 7 is employed suction from the unit 68 is applied to a suction cylinder 19', which is perforated and which is mounted on the tubular shaft I9, which rotates about a tubular member 80 through which the suction from unit 68 is applied alternately as required to the member 8|, so that the portion of the envelope blank I?" just to the rear of the window 82 is lifted by the suction member 8| to clear said window 82 of the underlying blank and prevent said window from catching at one edge of the underlying envelope blank, and thus permit ready and unobstructedforward feedingof said blank. The cylinder 19' is rotated by the sprocket chain 3| passingover a sprocketwheel 83 mounted on the tubular shaft 19, and which sprocket chain also passes over sprocket wheel 35 on shaft 36, and over the Sprocket wheel'on shaft 29.

1. Ina sheet f and forwarding mecha nism, a feed table, a supply of sheet material delivered to said feed table, a stop device against which said sheet material impinges, means for lifting and advancing the topmost sheet of said sheet material over and beyond said stop device, said means comprising a reciprocatory lifting and advancing suction device in combination with a rotary suction sheet advancing device, said rotary suction device being adapted toseize said sheet substantially simultaneously with the release of said sheet by'said reciprocatory lifting and advancing suction device, so that said sheet will remain in exact longitudinal arid transverse position diu'ingthe advancing movement for presentation in such exact. alined position.to the further operation of the scoring, folding, or imprinting devices of the machine. v

2. In a sheet feeding and forwarding mechanism, a feed table, means for delivering a series of sheet material to said feed table in spaced relation to each other, a stop device for arresting said sheet material in an accumulative pile of a pluralityof sheets, means for lifting and advancing the topmost sheet of said sheet material over. and beyond said stop device, said means comprising a reciprocatory lifting and advancing suction device, a rotary suction sheet advancing device,

said rotary suction device being adapted to seize said sheet substantially simultaneously with the 3. In a sheet feeding and forwarding mechanism, a feed table, means fondelivering a series of sheet material to said feed table in-spaced 'relation to each other, a stop device for arresting said sheet material in an accumulative pile of a plurality of sheets, means for lifting and advancingthe topmost sheet of said sheet material over and beyond said stop device, said means comprising a reciprocatory lifting and advancing suction device, a rotary suction sheet advancing device, said rotary suction device being adapted to seize said sheet substantially simultaneously with the release of said sheet by said reciprocatory lifting and advancing suction device, mechanical alining members for alining said sheet in relatively exact longitudinal and transverse position, means for holding said sheet in alined position after the withdrawal of the mechanical alining members, and means for advancing said alined sheet to the scoring, folding, or imprinting devices of the machine.

4. In a sheet feeding and forwarding mechanism, a feed table, means for delivering a series of envelope blanks in spaced relation to each other to said feed table, means associated with said feed table for arresting the forward movement of said blanks and thereby accumulating a plurality of said blanks in alined position at said arresting point, and means forcontinuing the advance of each blank to alining and folding mechanisms of the machine.

' 5. In a sheet feeding and forwarding mechanism, a feed table, means for delivering a series of envelope blanks in spaced relation to each other to said feed table, a stop device associated with said feed table for arresting theforward movement of said blanks and thereby accumulating a plurality of said blanks at said arresting point, and a reciprocatorylifting and advancing suction device for lifting and advancing the topmost vancing suction device for lifting and advancing the topmost blank over and beyond said stop device, a, rotary suction device for seizing and advancing said blank to mechanical alining members adapted to receive and aline said blank, and

means for advancing said blank from said alined position to the scoring and folding mechanisms of the machine,

'7. In a sheet feeding and folding mechanism, a feed table, means for delivering a continuous series of envelope blanks in spaced relation to each other to said feed table, a stop device associated with said feed table for arresting the forward movement of said blanks and thereby accumulating a plurality of said blanks at said arresting point, a reciprocatory lifting and advancing suction device for lifting and advancing the topmost arrested blank over and beyond said stop device, a rotary suction device for seizing and advancing said blank to mechanical alining members adapted to contact said blank and to aline the same, means for withdrawing said alining members out of contact with said'blank, a suction cup locatedbeneath said blank for removement of said blanks and thereby accumulating a plurality of said blanks at said arresting point, and a reciprocatory lifting and advancing suction device for lifting and advancing the topmost arrested blank over and beyond said stop device, a rotary suction device for seizing and advancing said sheet to alining and folding mechanisms of the machine, and adjustment means for adjusting the lifting and advancing devices longitudinally and transversely to accommodate envelope blanks of different width and depth.

CHARLES F. PF'LANZE.

DISCLAIMER.

2,151,228.-G7mrles F. Pflanze, WARDING MECHANISM.

University City, Patent dated March 21; 1939'. Disclaimer filed October 7, 1940, by the 'patentee.

SHEET FEEDING AND FOR- Hereby enters this disclaimer to claim 4 in said specification.

[Ofiet'al Gazette November 5, 1940.]- 

